Reading 1
Rom 1:16-25
Brothers and sisters:I am not ashamed of the Gospel.It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:for Jew first, and then Greek.For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith;as it is written, “The one who is righteous by faith will live.”
The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heavenagainst every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness.For what can be known about God is evident to them,because God made it evident to them.Ever since the creation of the world,his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinityhave been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.As a result, they have no excuse;for although they knew Godthey did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks.Instead, they became vain in their reasoning,and their senseless minds were darkened.While claiming to be wise, they became foolsand exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal manor of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.
Therefore, God handed them over to impuritythrough the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies.They exchanged the truth of God for a lieand revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator,who is blessed forever. Amen.
Gospel
Lk 11:37-41
After Jesus had spoken,a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.He entered and reclined at table to eat.The Pharisee was amazed to seethat he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,inside you are filled with plunder and evil.You fools!Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?But as to what is within, give alms,and behold, everything will be clean for you.”
Meditation: Romans 1:16-25
I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God. (Romans 1:16)
If you want to understand the gospel that Paul preached, try meditating on the word “power.” There are many kinds of power available today: hydroelectric power, atomic power, wind and solar power. We did nothing to create these sources of energy; they are part of the natural world. We simply learned how to harness them. And when we did, we changed the face of the earth!
The gospel is also a form of power. It is the power that is contained in all that Jesus said and did—his preaching and teaching, his death on the cross and his resurrection. It’s the same power that we receive at baptism and confirmation, and the same power the apostles received at Pentecost. And we can do nothing on our own to merit it; it is a gift from God that opens the way to eternal life for us.
However, like the power of the wind, the sea, or the sun, the power of the gospel doesn’t avail us much until we receive it with faith. The extent that we believe in it and lay hold of it is the extent to which its power can work through us. The choice is ours: We can be content that our sins are forgiven, or we can become ambassadors for Christ who are using our gifts to transform society. We are all saints in the making. As St. Catherine of Siena wrote, “If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world on fire!”
The essence of Paul’s message is, “Look at how much Jesus has blessed us!” We have so much more than a ticket to heaven. We have the grace to be men and women formed in his very image and likeness. We can hear his voice and know his presence. We can reach out to the lost and broken with his grace to bring comfort, healing, and deliverance. Empowered by the message of the gospel, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. We shouldn’t fear to go wherever the Spirit leads us, because Jesus is with us every step of the way.
“Lord, I want to know the power of your resurrection. Fill me with the fire of your Spirit so that I can be the light of the world for my brothers and sisters.”
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